


Laid Bare

by LSUsweetie



Series: Hermione's Unspeakable Adventures [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Ancient Spells and Rituals, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fred Weasley Lives, Oral Sex, Unspeakable Hermione Granger
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:33:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24973891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LSUsweetie/pseuds/LSUsweetie
Summary: Something goes terribly wrong during Hermione Granger's work as an Unspeakable.  What happens when she unexpectedly finds herself in an unfamiliar location, naked and wandless?
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Fred Weasley
Series: Hermione's Unspeakable Adventures [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2155242
Comments: 87
Kudos: 296
Collections: Hermione's Nook Naked Weasley Fest!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for Naked Weasley Fest in Hermione's Nook.
> 
> Many thanks to my wonderful beta, LadyBlack3, who went above and beyond to polish this story for me! Any remaining errors are my own. 
> 
> Thank you to Moonfairy13 who is always willing to answer my random question about how to word something in a more British way. And specifically for assisting me with the food choices in this fic!

Hermione’s breath came out in pants and the sound of her own heartbeat thundered in her ears. Knowing that she needed to calm down and assess the situation, she leaned against the cool tiles at her back and forcefully slowed her breathing. One minute she’d been at work in the Department of Mysteries, and the next she was stark naked and wandless in an unfamiliar shower. Strangely enough, it somehow smelled familiar, comforting even, but that was not the point. How the bloody hell had she ended up naked in someone’s bathroom? Fuck! Of all the predicaments she’d landed herself in over the years, this one ranked near the top. 

Listening closely, she raised her trembling hands to the bright blue curtain and prepared to slip out of the unknown shower. She desperately needed to figure out how to get back to the Ministry where she’d find her wand — or so she hoped. Just as she’d decided that it was safe to leave her temporary sanctuary, she heard the resonating sound of approaching footsteps. Her pulse leapt as someone entered the bathroom. The door closed with a click and she prayed that they would use the toilet quickly and leave. 

Unfortunately, today wasn’t her lucky day. As Hermione listened with growing dread, she heard a cupboard being opened, then a rustling sound before the shower curtain was swiftly drawn back. Her mind raced, running through the possible scenarios. At that moment she was unable to decide if she should attempt to cover herself or prepare to run. Because of this indecision, she was positioned in a half-crouch, trying in vain to cover all of the important bits when she came face to face with an equally naked and extremely shocked Fred Weasley. 

Embarrassment, relief, and an emotion that she wasn’t able to put into words all jumbled together in a confusing cluster and she promptly burst into tears. 

“Hermione? What on earth is going on?” Fred asked. Confusion and concern clouded his handsome features as he calmly passed her a towel, apparently unconcerned about his own nudity. As she wrapped herself in the overlarge towel, he unhurriedly grabbed his boxers from the floor and stepped back into them. 

Without a word, Fred reached out a hand to take hers and helped her climb out of the tub. He drew her into a hug, holding her until she’d stopped crying before reaching into a cupboard for a flannel. Hermione watched transfixed as he wet it, wrung it out, and then turned back to her. She had to fight to keep her emotions under control as he carefully wiped away all traces of the tears from her face. 

Taking her hand, he set the flannel down on the edge of the sink, then led her out into the hallway, stopping next to his bedroom door. He guided her inside, nudged her to sit on the edge of his bed, and after rummaging around for a moment, he passed her an old Gryffindor Quidditch jersey and a pair of joggers. 

“Get dressed, love. I’m going to go and make us a pot of tea and you can explain what just happened,” he kissed her cheek lightly and left her to it.

Once he’d closed the door behind him, she let out a long sigh. What on earth had happened? As an Unspeakable, she’d been trained to deal with the most bizarre situations, but this had certainly never come up in any of their training scenarios. 

She couldn’t think about any of that right now. She had to go out and face Fred, which was utterly mortifying. How would she be able to look him in the eye now? Taking a deep breath, she pulled on the borrowed clothing, rolling the waistband of the joggers to try and make them fit a little better. Finished dressing, she went in search of Fred.

Making her way into the kitchen, Hermione was pleased to see that Fred was pouring them each a cup of tea. She was less than pleased to see that he hadn’t bothered to put on additional clothing. He was still only dressed in a pair of navy blue boxer shorts. That was going to be distracting. Unable to help herself, she gave into temptation and allowed her eyes to roam his very fit body. When her gaze reached his face, she saw that her appraisal hadn’t gone unnoticed by the handsome wizard. Thankfully he didn’t comment but his bloody smirk and teasingly raised brows made a soft blush bloom on her cheeks. 

With that smug look still on his face, he held out a steaming cup of tea and gestured for her to take a seat at the kitchen table. Once seated, she forced herself to keep her eyes off his chest and instead focused on his face. Meeting her gaze unflinchingly, Fred asked, “So, Hermione… want to tell me how you ended up in my shower? Naked?”

Feeling her face heat further, she blew out a breath and contemplated how to answer the question. Settling on the truth, or at least the truth that she could tell him, she began to explain. “Well, you know what I do for work, right?”

“Of course, Miss Brilliant and Terrifying Unspeakable. It has to be the coolest job ever!” Fred exclaimed, punctuating his statement with a jab to the air above his head that made his muscles flex and ripple in the most alluring way. 

Smiling apologetically, Hermione continued, trying desperately to ignore the thoughts she was having about the nearly naked man sitting across from her. “And you know that due to the nature of my job, I’m not going to be able to tell you much. All I can say, unless I’m granted special permission, is that I was at work one second, and in your shower, naked, and wandless the next.”

“Why my shower though?” He asked, his confused frown morphing into a flirty little wink. “Not that I minded of course. As far as surprises go, finding a gorgeous, naked witch when I pulled back that curtain was a pleasant one for sure.”

Fred thought she was gorgeous? _Now is not the time,_ _happy dance later_ , she admonished herself, trying to stick to what was important. Was where she turned up the strangest part of this ordeal? Maybe it was, she wasn’t sure. It was definitely a toss-up between that and the naked part. He did have a point though. Of all the showers of all the people that she knew, and ones she didn’t know, why Fred’s? Shaking her head and frowning slightly, Hermione answered, “I honestly do not know why I ended up here. It’s going to be the first thing I try to figure out as soon as I get back to work.”

“Back to work? It’s nearly five now. Do you have to go back?”

“Even if my wand wasn’t there, I would have to return. I have to log this — uh, mishap, and notify my team about what has occurred.” Realising that this was a workday for him too and she’d interrupted him taking a shower, she had a horrible thought. “Do you have plans that I’m interrupting? I know that you don’t usually close the shop this early...” She trailed off when Fred broke in.

“You’re not, I promise,” he held up a pacifying hand. “George and I have started taking it in turns to knock off early when we aren’t busy. I’d been brewing all day and wanted to wash off any leftover residue. After that, my big plans involved ordering some takeaway and lazing about the rest of the evening. You’re not interrupting,” he shrugged and grinned at her.

She considered him for a moment, before sharing her suspicions. “I suppose It’s good that you don’t have plans. When I make it back to the Ministry and explain what happened to my team, they are very likely going to want me to attempt to recreate the event.”

“So, you’re telling me that you could end up back in my shower again, naked, sometime this evening?” He asked, waggling his brows suggestively. 

Rolling her eyes good-naturedly, she nodded and agreed with a chuckle.“Yes, I suppose you could say that.”

“Well, in that case, why don’t we get you back to the Ministry. Once you’re done with work, you can come back and have dinner with me even if you don’t mysteriously show up in my shower.”

Fred suddenly appeared to be more nervous than Hermione had ever seen before. The tips of his ears turned pink, and he refused to meet her gaze as his fingertips tapped an anxious rhythm against the edge of the table. Was this sudden case of nerves because he was afraid that she wouldn’t agree, or because he’d blurted the offer out and regretted his rash suggestion? She couldn’t be sure, but she really did want to come back if she was being honest with herself so her decision was made easily. “I would really like that, thank you. I need to figure out a way to get back to my flat, and then to the Ministry. By the time I’ve talked with my team, I could be gone for a couple of hours. Is that alright or is that too late?” She watched him closely, vowing to beg off later if he seemed less than pleased by her acceptance.

His face however lit up with a broad grin. “That’s brilliant, not late at all. I can side-along you to your flat and then on to the Ministry if you’d like?”

Relieved at the suggestion and grateful to avoid explaining this to anyone else, she agreed with a nod. She would have simply asked to borrow Fred’s floo but she was in the habit of locking and warding hers while she was at work. And explaining this to Harry or, Merlin-forbid, Ginny was a downright traumatic prospect... She knew that Fred would likely share the story around, but it was too fresh and embarrassing for her to want to do so today, beyond having to disclose it at work. “That would be amazing. If you’re sure that you don’t mind?”

Fred reached across the table and placed his hand on top of her arm. “I don’t mind in the least. Honestly, I was a little depressed about my lack of plans tonight. You popped in and made my evening a hundred times more exciting than I thought it would be. Give me a second to throw on some clothes. I don’t suppose it would be acceptable for me to show up at the Ministry wearing my boxers,” he winked.

Hermione giggled briefly at the absurdity of that scenario until she pictured exactly what that would entail. The thought of a nearly naked Fred Weasley taking her by side-along apparition caused a disconcerting flutter in her lower belly. Forcing those confusing thoughts from her mind, she smiled up at Fred. “Well, that would certainly cause a stir at the Ministry. You may even make the front page of The Prophet.”

“Can you imagine what Rita Skeeter would do with that?” Fred laughed as he rose from the table and headed down the hall toward his bedroom, seemingly unaware of Hermione’s appraising gaze on his freckled form the entire way. 

A short while later, Hermione and Fred apparated into her flat where she quickly changed into something more work-appropriate. Would you mind leaving these in your bathroom for me?” she asked, handing the bundle of borrowed clothing back to Fred. “I want to be prepared if I land in your shower again. Hopefully, I won’t end up in another random location.”

If she hadn’t been watching Fred closely, she wouldn’t have noticed the flash of anger in his gaze at her last remark. _What in the world was that about?_ It was gone before she could think too much of it, replaced by a smile once more. “You will come back to the flat no matter what, right?”

“Of course, if you still want me to?”

“I do,” he nodded, smiling down at her. “Let’s get you to the Ministry then. The sooner you go, the sooner you can come back.” He held out his arm for her to hold and turned on the spot, reappearing at the Ministry’s apparition point just outside of the Atrium. 

With a quick look around to make sure they weren’t being watched by anyone who would land them in the papers, Hermione rose up on her toes and pressed a kiss to Fred’s cheek. “Thank you. Landing in your shower was terrifying, not knowing where I was. When I saw you, I was embarrassed, of course, but very relieved as well. So, thanks for taking care of me and not taking the mickey.” Noticing the glint in his eye, she huffed in good-natured resignation, adding, “Well, not taking the mickey when I was still feeling vulnerable that is, I’m sure you’ll make up for that later.”

With a laugh, Fred doffed a pretend hat.“You’re quite welcome,” he winked and was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

Hermione rushed to the lifts and headed down into the bowels of the Ministry. Making her way into the DoM, she found her boss, Unspeakable Young, and the last member of her team that she wanted to know about this, Draco Malfoy. He wasn’t the prejudiced git he’d once been in school, they were actually friends now. That didn’t mean she wanted him to know about her adventure. She knew that he would tease her relentlessly about this — especially if her suspicions as to why she ended up at Fred’s flat were proven to be true.

As her footsteps echoed on the stone floor, Malfoy whirled around wide-eyed. “Granger! Where on earth have you been? We found your clothing and your wand but you were just gone!”

Shoving her hands into the pockets of her trousers, she shifted her weight, purposefully looking away from the men. “I, well… I ended up spontaneously apparating somewhere — naked.” 

Draco and her boss both eyed her suspiciously. It was the blond who pointed out the obvious. “You can’t apparate in or out of here.”

Huffing with indignation, Hermione faced him fully and retorted, “I’m well aware of that. I did specify that it was spontaneous. You know that the magic in _that_ room can be unpredictable.”

With a smug smirk reminiscent of the one he often wore in school, he inquired, “Where did you end up, Hermione? Specifically.

She looked at her boss pleadingly, but he just stood and watched her intently with his arms crossed over his chest. The annoyingly stoic man often stayed out of their bickering. “Fine,” she grumbled, “I ended up in Fred Weasley’s shower if you must know.”

Predictably, Draco had to clutch at his sides as he laughed. “I always knew it would be a Weasley for you,” he wheezed out.

Glaring at the blond menace, Hermione insisted, “It doesn’t have to mean _that_. It could be something else entirely.”

Draco shot her a look that told her that he thought she was being intentionally thick. “It’s called The _Love_ Room for a reason.”

Before he could say anything else, she cut him off. “Draco Malfoy, I promise that I will make your life hell if you take the piss about this. Don’t forget who bathed you and changed your nappies during your little misadventure when you decided to experiment with time.”

This shut him up, but Hermione only had a moment to gloat before Unspeakable Young interrupted, “Granger, what exactly were you researching when you were transported?”

Chewing on her lip, Hermione contemplated how to frame this so that it wouldn’t reveal too much personal information but there really was no way around it. “I was researching the effects of Amortentia on runes used in bonding rituals — specifically sex magic rituals. Unfortunately, I must have missed something or misinterpreted a portion of the text that I was working with. Nothing I read indicated that the spell could work like that.” 

Both men were watching her intently with knowing looks. She’d thought earlier that very little could make her feel more uncomfortable than her encounter with Fred. She was wrong. This was infinitely worse. 

“Well Granger, chop-chop,” Draco clapped his hands together twice in rapid succession. You know what you need to do, so you may as well get on with it. Owl me once you’re safely at Weasley’s and I’ll send your clothing and wand through the Floo,” he instructed, unable to disguise the mirth in his voice. 

Resigned to the whole ordeal, Hermione headed toward the Room of Doors that would allow her to enter The Love Room. Taking her wand from Draco, she approached the locked door. Her clearance allowed her to pass through the wards that others had no hope of getting through. Before she closed the door, Unspeakable Young called out, “Oh and Granger, you have permission to fill Mr. Weasley in on how you ended up in his home.”

This proclamation stopped her in her tracks. She turned and just stared at her boss mutely in disbelief. Expressionless as ever, he shrugged, adding, “Without giving away any details about your research, of course. You know how to use vague terms and still get the point across. He deserves to know, especially if you continue your research on love and compatibility. This could happen again.”

Hermione knew that he was right, but it didn’t loosen the knot of anxiety that had just formed in the pit of her stomach. She was terrified of the potential for ruining the friendship that they were beginning to form, or worse, complete rejection. They’d always been friendly, but they’d just recently come to the point where they were hanging out without the buffer that their friends and family provided. 

If she was honest with herself, she’d been interested in Fred for years, going as far as purposely attending Harry and Ginny’s wedding solo, hoping that Fred would be dateless as well. Unfortunately, that had backfired when he’d shown up with Katie Bell. 

So when Percy got married, she made sure to bring a date. She’d practically blackmailed Draco into attending with her. She hadn’t wanted to show up alone again and come off as desperate so she’d asked. He'd, of course, tried to beg off, afraid that he wouldn’t be welcome with the Weasleys. In order to get her way, she’d threatened to show off a certain set of photographs in her possession. Technically, she probably wasn’t allowed to show the cute baby Draco evidence from when he’d accidentally de-aged himself. But he hadn’t been certain that she wouldn’t go through with it, so he’d agreed to be her date. 

When she’d appeared with Draco and saw that Fred had come alone, she’d wanted to ditch her date, but of course, she couldn’t. He’d made Hermione promise not to leave him alone with any Weasleys who may wish him bodily harm. Stuck close by Draco’s side, she could only watch Fred as much as possible that night. It didn’t escape her attention that Fred continually shot them speculative looks and made it a point to find out if she was dating the blonde. 

Finally, just three months ago when George married Angelina, she’d taken a chance and shown up alone. Even assuming that Fred, in his role of best man, would certainly make sure that he had a date, she couldn’t risk a repeat of what had happened with Draco. Thankfully, her gamble had paid off. Fred had arrived solo. The two of them ended up dancing all night. It had been the most fun she’d ever had at an event like that. 

Since George’s wedding, Hermione and Fred had gone to dinner once, saw a film at a Muggle cinema, even explored a Muggle club for drinks and dancing — just the two of them. Sadly, Fred hadn’t shown any indication that he was interested in anything other than a fun time with a friend. There had been no hand-holding, stolen kisses, or even an attempt to be alone together at one of their flats. This left Hermione feeling defeated and upset. She’d hoped that he’d been just as interested in pursuing a romantic relationship as she was. 

Now, she had to go back and face Fred again. She wasn’t sure how to tell him. Closing the door behind her, she made the mistake of taking a deep breath and was assaulted by the Amortentia fumes that permeated the room. The overdue revelation hit her at once. That was why Fred’s shower smelled familiar and comforting before she’d even realised where she was. She felt stupid for not recognising it immediately, she smelled it every time she was in this room after all. 

Now wasn’t the time to consider the implications of that, she needed to focus. Gathering the ancient books that she’d been translating earlier in the day, she returned to her workbench. Close examination revealed that she’d missed two pages in her earlier reading because they were stuck together. _How could she have been so careless?_ She was very lucky that the results of her mistake were relatively harmless. That spell could have done all sorts of awful things to her!

Taking a moment, she placed her head in her hands, breathing deeply. The damn Amortentia was making her brain fuzzy. None of the information contained within this room could be taken from its boundaries, so if she wanted to continue her research, she would have to find a way to deal with it. 

Sighing, she got started with her task, making quick work of translating the runes in the text she was examining. Well, that explained what happened to her. Now to see if it would happen again — though she was already certain that it would. The beautiful set of runes carved into pink quartz were just where she’d left them. After taking the time to make a few quick notes, she repeated the steps that she’d gone through just before she found herself in Fred’s shower the first time. 


	3. Chapter 3

All of a sudden, she was falling, unable to gain her footing on a slick floor. A pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist, stopping her from falling arse over tit and hitting her head on the tile. Shock giving way to understanding, she inhaled the scent she’d just experienced in the Amortentia. It surrounded her in the steamy mist of the shower that had clearly just been turned off. 

Raising her eyes, she met Fred’s gaze, expecting to see amusement at their predicament. Instead, she found his usually kind brown eyes heated with desire. Before she had time to think or react, Fred slid one hand up her back to cup the nape of her neck, pulling her tight against his firm body in one smooth move. She could feel the hard length of his arousal pressed intimately against her stomach. In the next moment, he lowered his mouth to hers, making her wonder if she’d managed to hit her head and was now in the midst of a lovely dream. Deciding that she could figure it out later, Hermione responded enthusiastically, eagerly allowing his tongue to invade her mouth, sliding against her own, and sending a tingling jolt of electricity throughout her body. 

He pulled away abruptly, his eyes wide with something akin to shock, or possibly horror. “Merlin, Hermione, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. I’ll go get some clothes on. The jersey and joggers are on the back of the loo for you. I...I… I’m really sorry,” he stuttered in apology and pulled back the curtain just enough to slip out in a blink. It closed behind him immediately, and soon after Hermione heard the distinct sound of the door being opened and then closed. 

Sinking to the floor of the shower, she pulled her knees into her chest and allowed herself to cry for the second time that day. _Fred didn’t want her._ She was confused though, he’d been very obviously attracted to her — maybe that would be his reaction to any naked woman though, not just her. Regardless, it was clear that he didn’t want to pursue anything beyond friendship. If that hadn’t been obvious with their non-dates, it was certainly clear now. 

Hermione was absolutely devastated, but she knew that she had to pull herself together and get dressed. If she didn’t get that owl to Draco soon, he would be angry with her. It was getting late and he would want to go home at some point. Gathering her thoughts, she devised a plan of action in her head... _Okay, get dressed, owl Draco, get things, go home, and wallow in self-pity with junk food, wine, and a bubble bath_. With her plan made, she hauled herself off the wet floor, dressed in the borrowed clothing, and went to find Fred.

As she approached the kitchen, she could hear the clatter of dishes and cutlery. Taking a deep breath to calm the sense of dread that she was suddenly feeling, Hermione asked, “Do you have an owl I can borrow? I need to post a note to Draco so he can send my clothes and wand through your Floo.” Belatedly, she realised that maybe she shouldn’t make any assumptions. “That is, unless you prefer I firecall Harry or Ginny to take me home now. If you do, I can wait and send the owl from home.”

Fred spoke, keeping his back to her. “Of course you can borrow my owl and wait here.” Without stopping whatever it was that he was doing, he pointed. “She’s in the entry hall over there, next to the Floo.”

Hermione fled in the direction of the bird. She was terrified that she would succumb to tears once again but did not want Fred to see her in such a state. Was even their friendship ruined now? Merlin, this was the precise reason why she hadn’t wanted to take a chance and show him how she felt. Quickly scribbling a note to Draco, she attached it to the little owl’s leg and sent it off.

Turning to go back into the kitchen, she nearly ran into Fred who had managed to approach where she stood without her knowledge. She jumped back, placing a hand over her heart, “Fred! You startled me!” 

He sighed, lips pressed into a tight smile. He looked as if he was trying to figure out what to say but in the end, he just hung his head and murmured. “I’m really sorry. I hope I haven’t ruined our friendship completely. Can you forgive me?”

“Whatever for?” Hermione asked, genuinely confused. 

Fred kept his gaze on the floor. “For that, in there. I had no right.”

_Had no right? What was he on about?_ As she attempted to make sense of what Fred was saying, Hermione’s next words became hopelessly jumbled, and she commanded, “Just hold me for just a second.” 

Without hesitation, Fred moved in close and gathered her into his arms. 

Feeling her face heat with mortification from what was clearly a Freudian slip, she clarified quickly. “Oh gods, I meant ‘hold on for just a second’,” she clarified as she attempted to wiggle away. 

Fred ignored her attempts to disengage herself and wrapped his arms tighter around her wriggling body. “Mmmm, I like the first suggestion better.”

Hermione’s head snapped up in confusion. Narrowing her eyes, she poked one finger into his chest and demanded, “If you’re so keen to cuddle me up now, why on earth were you sorry that you’d kissed me?” 

He frowned at her with furrowed brows, causing a crease to form in his forehead. “Did you think I meant that I didn’t want to kiss you at all?”

Nodding slightly, Hermione looked down, resisting the urge to bury her face in his chest since he still hadn’t let go of her. “Yes,” she whispered.

His muttered curse would have made a sailor blush. With a single finger under her chin, he lifted her face until she was looking at him. “It seems I’ve cocked up royally then. That’s not what I meant at all. It just seemed to me that practically mauling you when we were both naked wasn’t the most gentlemanly way for me to behave when we were sharing our first kiss together. Not that I didn’t want to kiss you at all.”

“Really?” asked Hermione. She was still a little afraid to hope that he’d actually wanted to kiss her. 

“Yes, really,” Fred insisted. “I’ve been trying to work up the nerve to kiss you or ask you on a proper date — or do something that would let you know that I was interested in you romantically, for months now. At least since George’s wedding.”

Feeling more confident, Hermione looked up at Fred with a flirty smile. “How did you envision our first kiss, Mr. Weasley?

His eyes met hers, and she could see the vulnerability and uncertainty reflected there. She’d never imagined that Fred would feel as nervous about this as she did. He always seemed so confident and self-assured. Perhaps she’d been wrong all along. Maybe it was possible that he’d been just as concerned about ruining their friendship as she had been. Wanting to reassure him, Hermione acted on impulse. Sliding her hand up, she caressed his cheek, allowing her fingertips to slip through the fine hair at his temple. 

Slowly, as if he wanted to give her a chance to pull away, Fred swiped the pad of his thumb across her bottom lip. Ever so gently, he lowered his mouth and brushed his lips across hers. Without pulling away, he cupped her face tenderly, pulling her close. His eyes met hers and held her gaze as he covered her mouth with his own and deepened the kiss with a deliberately slow, sensual caress of his tongue.

This was nothing like the frantic, desperate kiss they’d shared in the shower. That had been fueled purely by physical need and the shock of her sudden appearance. This felt real, it felt perfectly right. Fred’s self-assured, nearly cocky personality shone through in the way that he took control with a confidence that he certainly hadn’t possessed earlier. 

Hermione felt herself melt into his arms. She felt cared for in a way that she’d never experienced before, even as his hands left her face — one to slide into her hair, the other to cup the swell of her bum, pulling her more firmly into his embrace. Just as she felt his hand leave her bum and start to slip under the hem of the borrowed jersey, the Floo behind her came to life. 

Hesitantly, they separated. At the sound of a clearing throat, they turned to see the self-satisfied smirk of Draco Malfoy. “I see that you’ve told him already, Granger. Well, come and get your things, I wouldn’t want to delay your… activities.”

Without comment, Hermione grabbed a pair of tongs from beside the fire and reached through to grab her bundle of possessions from Draco. “Thanks, I’ll see you tomorrow. Oh, and Draco,” she paused, her smile turning mischievous, “I think that we need to test out my experiment on someone else. I’m curious to see where you’ll end up.” Laughing at his stricken face, she grabbed Fred’s hand and pulled him away from the entry hall after warding the floo. She didn’t want to be interrupted again later. 

Fred stopped, turning Hermione to face him. “What did he mean? Malfoy said that he could see that you’d told me. Told me what?”

_Crap_. Hermione sighed deeply. She truly wasn’t sure what to say. Honestly, it would have been easier before she found the new information that afternoon. With what she’d discovered, there was no way of making it sound like anything less than what it was. “I promise to tell you as much as I can. But, it’s been a long and insane day and I’m starving. Would you mind if we eat something first?”

Fred regarded her for a few moments before nodding. “Fine, but I want you to tell me while we eat.”

There was no getting around it. She had to tell him, but she was incredibly apprehensive. It was terrifying to contemplate having this discussion when they’d only just worked up to admitting that there was some kind of mutual interest. What if this scared him off? She could feel a knot of tension forming in her stomach. This was far too stressful. With a deep breath, Hermione hesitantly agreed. “Alright,” she acquiesced.

Grinning triumphantly, Fred tugged gently on their still joined hands. When they reached the table, he released her, pulling out a chair and gesturing for her to sit. As she sat, he went over to the counter where he retrieved two plates, two glasses of wine, and several bags of takeaway. Bringing the food to the table, he explained, “After you left the first time, I popped out to get our food. That’s why I was still in the shower when you returned. I didn’t want to be gone when you got back, but I thought I had a bit more time.”

Hermione knew what he was doing, and she appreciated him making an effort to put her at ease. It was helping, but she was still quite nervous. As she watched Fred unpacking the food, she felt even more of the tension dissolve. Finding that she was near tears again at the utter sweetness of the gesture, she glanced at Fred and saw that he was watching her intently. “Thank you,” she murmured. “This is precisely what I needed tonight. No wonder you were still showering when I made it back, from the looks of it, you apparated all over England just to get my favourite foods.”

Fred shrugged. “You’d had a completely shite day. I just wanted to make it a bit better.”

Reaching across the table, she covered his hand with her own. “You did that already. This is something else entirely. Now, let’s see exactly what you got for us.” Examining the offerings, she beamed up at Fred in amazement. He really had gone all over England. Dips and crudites from M&S, chips and curry sauce from the chippie near her parents’ house, and sweet and sour chicken balls from the best Chinese takeaway in London. It was clear to all and sundry that Fred had been paying very close attention to her preferences. That fact, combined with the effort that he’d put into obtaining all of this, gave her hope that what she had to tell him might not scare him off as she’d feared. Standing from her seat so she could reach him, Hermione leaned across the table and placed a soft kiss on Fred’s lips. “Thank you. Truly, you can’t know how much this means to me,” she whispered against his lips before taking her seat once again.

He gave her a cheeky wink in response. “If I got a kiss just for this, I can’t wait to see what happens when you find out what I have for dessert.” 

Hermione knew it was time, but she wanted to gather her thoughts. Laughing, she playfully retorted, “I guess we’ll see. That dessert has to be perfect to top this.” Before he could say anymore, she began to purposefully fill her plate. She took her time, sampling a bit of each dish before sighing deeply. She’d promised to tell Fred what she could during dinner and it was time for her to lay everything out. 

Setting her fork down, Hermione looked up and made eye contact with Fred. She nervously fiddled with the silver ring she wore on the ring finger of her right hand, biting her lip restlessly as she considered how to begin. Finally, she decided that she had to simply blurt it all out. “When I returned to the Department of Mysteries, I realised that I’d missed something in my initial research.” 

Fred raised a brow, intrigued but said nothing. He gave her a slight nod, which she took as a sign that she should continue. “The work that I was doing today was contained within the room that is always locked, and only those with express permission to enter are ever allowed through the wards. The reason for this is that the power contained within is considered to be the most dangerous on earth.”

“Love,” Fred’s single whispered word let her know that he understood perfectly what she was saying. Unable to meet his gaze until she got the rest of it out, she stared down at her hands which were now interlocked on top of the table. 

“Yes, love,” she agreed. “I’d been researching several ancient texts that contained spells and rituals for bonding. Most of them were heavily based in sex magic.” Unable to pause, afraid that she wouldn't be able to go on if she did, she rushed ahead. “When I returned to the room this evening, I found that two of the pages of the book I’d used had been stuck together. When I separated them, I found something very interesting.” She did risk a glance at Fred now and found him watching her expectantly, apparently hanging onto her every word.

“What I discovered was that in the early fifteenth century, the magical population in England was suffering. They were dying out. The Wizards’ Council, which was the ruling body of the time, instituted a marriage law. All single witches and wizards of childbearing age were matched. They had to marry their match and produce at least three offspring within the first five years of their union.”

Reaching for her glass, she took a sip of wine. It did nothing to soothe her suddenly parched throat, but it gave her a moment to observe Fred. He still appeared calm, but his eyes had gone round all of a sudden. Not wanting him to jump to conclusions, she continued. “The Council Chief, the head of the Wizards’ Council, had a daughter who was unmarried. She was deeply in love with a man, but they hadn’t yet made their intent to be married public knowledge. His daughter was devastated. Knowing that he needed to do something to ease her pain, he had the Unspeakables create a spell that would match each person with the one with whom they were most compatible. They knew that not everyone would show up to be matched even though it was the law. So, they combined a transport spell with a locator charm that would take each person to the place where what they smelled in Amortentia was the most concentrated — apparently, the spell was designed in a way that required the scent to be naturally occurring, preventing someone from simply using the potion itself,” she trailed off, still afraid of how he would react.

Before her brain could register the movement, Fred stood next to her. He pulled her from her chair and led her over to the sofa where he sat, pulling her into his lap so that her back was pressed against his chest. When she was settled, he finally spoke, his mouth close to her ear.“So, this ritual that you performed was intended to transport you to where what you smell in Amortentia could be found?”

“Yes,” she admitted in a barely audible whisper.

“And it brought you to my shower?”

She only nodded this time, unable to speak at all.

“Why naked though?”

Sitting up slightly, she thought about it before turning to answer him. “Oh, well, I think that was for the bonding ritual. You see, they were using sex magic to form the marital bonds. So I think they wanted to make it as easy as possible to get on with it.” Shrugging, she added, “I’m not completely positive about that though, I would need to research it more.”

Fred hooked an arm around her waist, snuggling her closer to his body once again. “Why didn’t you appear next to me the first time?” he asked softly, chin resting on her shoulder near her ear. “Why were you in the shower when I wasn’t? Or is what you smell in Amortentia not actually me?” 

This last question was asked with such uncertainty that Hermione felt the need to reassure him. In her rush, she forgot that she had her own set of fears and concerns. “It’s definitely you. I think that because you were covered in so much potion residue earlier, your shower smelled more like you than you did.” Comprehending what she’d admitted, she clasped her hand over her mouth in horror.

Fred removed her hand gently, before threading his fingers between hers to bring her hand to his lips, brushing a soft kiss against her knuckles. “Ask me what Amortentia smells like to me, Hermione,” he demanded.

Summoning her courage, she asked, “What does Amortentia smell like to you?”

Instead of answering right away, he buried his face in her hair. She could hear and feel him inhaling deeply. He moved to nuzzle her neck, audibly sniffing as he swirled his tongue across her pulse point. “You, absolutely and without a doubt, you.” 

Joy as she’d never felt it before filled her as she comprehended his words. She’d felt as if she was baring her soul when she explained how she’d ended up there. To know that he returned her feelings was indescribable. Turning so that she could face him, she moved in for the kiss that she needed desperately. There was no hesitation on his part. He pulled her in close and snogged her senseless. When they pulled apart, Hermione rested her head against his shoulder. 

“Are you still hungry?” he asked after a moment. “We didn’t eat much. Let’s go finish our dinner and I’ll get our dessert into the oven while we’re eating.”

Food was honestly the last thing on her mind at that moment, but she really should eat. She hadn’t had much that day, and it was late. Fred was likely still hungry as well, the Weasley men all had healthy appetites. 

When she was seated back at the table, Fred went into the kitchen, sliding something that she couldn’t see into the oven. As they finished their food, a delicious smell wafted through the small space. It was incredibly familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. Deciding that if she had any more to eat, she wouldn’t be able to enjoy dessert, Hermione set her fork down again. She sipped her wine contentedly as Fred ate his fill. Once done, he sent their plates into the sink and their leftovers onto the counter, following the trail of levitating food into the kitchen.

A few moments later, he was back and when Hermione saw what he was carrying, her emotions threatened to overwhelm her for the millionth time that day. “You made me a cornflake tart? And there’s ice cream too! This smells just like my mum’s.”

“Let’s hope that it tastes alright! I asked a nice lady at the market for advice on making it.”

Merlin, she loved this man. Love? Did she really? _Of course, I do, otherwise, I wouldn’t have ended up here in the first place._ Why was she so hesitant to admit it to herself? Logically, she knew that it was because everything seemed to be happening far too easily, and quickly. In her experience, that wasn’t typical. _Stop overanalyzing this. Go with the flow and do what feels right._

Mind made up, she assured him with a smile, “I’m sure it will be perfect. I can’t wait to have a taste. Shall we take it over to the sofa and get comfortable?”

Fred quickly agreed and soon they were snuggled together, sharing a single plate of the dessert. Long after the tart, which Hermione declared to be the best she’d ever had, was finished, they lay curled up together, sharing kisses and murmuring softly to each other. Reluctantly, Hermione started to sit up. “It’s getting really late. I’m exhausted, and we both have work tomorrow. As much as I don’t want to, I need to go home,” she said with a sigh.

Wrapping her tightly in his arms, Fred nestled his head into her curls and whispered, hopefully, “Stay? Please, I just want to hold you. No ulterior motive, I promise.”

Without a second thought, Hermione whispered back, “What if I want you to have an ulterior motive?”

Fred’s sharp intake of breath was answer enough before his mouth sought hers urgently, sucking her bottom lip between his teeth with an impatient moan. As the kiss grew more passionate, his hands began to wander under the borrowed jersey that she still wore. Suddenly Hermione pulled away, remembering that this may not be without consequences. 

“Is everything okay?” Fred asked with concern.

“I just remembered that due to the ritual that I performed, we could end up unintentionally bonded for life if we do this tonight,” she rushed to get the words out, feeling frantic about nearly forgetting something potentially life-altering.

Sitting up, Fred maneuvered Hermione so that she was facing him. She was afraid to make eye contact, terrified of what she would see in Fred’s eyes. He took her hands in his. “Hermione, please look at me.”

Meeting his gaze, she felt her eyes fill with tears. He was watching her with care and concern, not anger as she’d feared. 

“Are you certain about the bonding aspect?”

She shook her head, “No, but until I do more research, I can’t know for sure — honestly, I may never know for sure. That information may not be available.”

“Will the spell wear off after a certain period of time, or is it permanent?”

Allowing a tear to fall now, she admitted, “I’m fairly certain that it will be permanent.”

With an unreadable expression, Fred released one of her hands, reaching over and gently wiping the moisture from her face with the pad of his thumb. “So, if the ritual has worked on us fully, and if we ever consummate our relationship, we will possibly be bonded for life — married.”

“Yes,” she admitted in a nearly inaudible voice, feeling utterly miserable. 

He smiled then, linking both of their hands once again and rubbing circles on her palms with his thumbs. “Well then, if the consequences are the same today, or a year from now, and we are both willing, what are we waiting for? Unless you aren’t positive that you want me…” His smile fell from his face as he seemed to consider that.

She could only stare as Fred lowered his head to study their joined hands. The insecurity in his voice was evident, but she could do nothing to reassure him. She simply couldn’t comprehend what he was saying, what he was implying. Finding her voice, she struggled to get the words out. “You… You… You’re not upset?”

His head snapping up, Fred asked, “Why on earth would I be upset? If I’m understanding how the ritual that you discovered was created, we are basically each other’s perfect match. Maybe even soulmates.”

Hermione nodded slowly. “Yes, that seems to have been the point of the spell.”

At this, Fred grinned broadly before capturing her lips in a sweet kiss. When he drew back he shrugged, “I don’t have any concerns then. If you don’t either, let’s go to bed. You can have the bathroom first. I’ll show you where everything is.” 

  
  



	4. Chapter 4

Hermione stood at the long bathroom counter brushing her teeth with the spare toothbrush that Fred provided. After their discussion, she felt lighter. She still wasn’t certain that they should take their relationship to the next level that night though. They’d agreed to just let things develop naturally, but she was worried that Fred would wake up tomorrow with regrets if they were magically bonded.

“I can hear you thinking from over here,” Fred’s voice came from the doorway. “I’m not going to pressure you into anything that you’re not ready for, but I assure you that I’m not worried about the potential consequences. Honestly, I’m thrilled.”

Looking over her shoulder at him curiously, she asked, “Thrilled? What makes you say that?”

Fred sighed, “Since George’s wedding, I’ve felt like a part of me is missing. It’s not because my twin got married and moved out either. It’s because that was the first time you and I really connected. That night, I felt like the empty space inside was finally filled. Since then, when we’ve been apart, I feel that emptiness more than ever. You’re what’s been missing, I’m certain. My biggest regret is that I wasn’t brave enough to make you aware of my feelings before now. If I had, we could have felt secure in our relationship before this happened.”

As Fred was speaking, he moved closer to Hermione. By the time he’d spoken the final word, he was standing right in front of her. He kissed her softly, running his hands up her arms, then asked, “Do you still have reservations?”

“Not anymore,” she shook her head. “I was just terrified that you would resent me and feel like I’d trapped you if we ended up accidentally bonded. You’ve convinced me that you won’t.”

Kissing her again, more deeply this time, Fred ran his hands down her back until he reached the curve of her arse. When he skimmed the hem of the jersey she wore, he slid his hands underneath. He gasped when he found that she was bare beneath his fingers, as she had discarded the joggers but hadn't yet put on knickers. Dragging his mouth away from hers with an obvious effort, he took a shaky breath. “Before I completely lose control, I need to say this. I’m fairly certain that I’m in love with you. I needed you to know that because I fully intend to make love to you as many times as you will allow.”

Hermione’s heart swelled. Never in her wildest dreams could she have imagined that this was how today would end. When she’d woken that morning, everything seemed normal, but it had turned into an extraordinary day. And, ironically enough, it was all because she’d made a mistake. 

She was broken from her reverie by the deep timbre of Fred’s voice in her ear, “Turn around.” The two short words sent a shiver of excitement running down her spine. She turned slowly, meeting his gaze in the mirror as she faced the counter. With a sexy wink that caused a flutter low in her belly, Fred dropped to his knees behind her, leaning down to place an open-mouthed kiss on the inside of her calf. Gasping at the unexpectedly sensual touch, Hermione unconsciously widened her stance, her heart racing in anticipation.

Fred placed a hand on each of her calves and ran them up until he reached where the hem of his jersey hit just below her arse. He continued his path upward, hiking the garment over her hips as he reverently palmed the pert cheeks. “As much as I like seeing my name written across your back, this needs to go.”

Reaching down, Hermione gripped the shirt and pulled it up and over her head. She felt Fred stand, trailing his hands over the length of her body as he moved upward. He pressed his still fully clothed body against her back as he reached around to caress her breasts. Sucking the lobe of her ear into his mouth, he murmured, “beautiful,” before proceeding to explore every inch of skin that he could reach with his lips, tongue, and teeth.

What on earth was he doing to her? Hermione was beyond the point of coherent thought and he’d barely even touched her. Would it always be this way with him? She needed more. He needed to be naked and inside her. In an attempt to make this happen, Hermione squirmed against Fred, wanting to turn around so she could face him.

Chuckling against her neck, Fred momentarily stopped his ministrations. “Be patient. I’m not done.” With that promise made, he lowered himself slowly to the ground once again, trailing kisses along her shoulders and down her spine as he went. 

He pushed her legs further apart, his tongue seeking the soft, sensitive skin of her inner thighs. Hermione had to grab the countertop for support as pleasure and desire coursed through her body. “Please,” the single word slipped from her tongue on a gasping moan. She didn’t recognise her own voice, but even she could hear the desperation. The sheer neediness should have embarrassed her, but all she could think of was Fred.

There had been no response to her plea. He continued laving her skin, moving closer to her centre but never allowing contact with the place that she wanted him most. The movement of his mouth stilled suddenly and she felt him blowing lightly on the small patch of curls covering her sex. Before she could react to the new sensation, a single finger ran through her folds followed by his tongue. She cried out, “Fred!” 

Soon the probing finger slipped inside her, his lips latching onto her swollen clit. With only a few steady strokes, she was overcome by pulsing waves of ecstasy as the orgasm took her by surprise. Moaning and babbling incoherently, she was only half aware of Fred getting to his feet. When her vision cleared, she was surprised to see that he’d shed all of his clothing and was standing naked, watching her intently in the mirror. 

Meeting his gaze, she knew without a doubt that he was it for her. Smiling softly, she told him, “I didn’t get to say so because you thoroughly distracted me, but I need you to know that I love you too. I’m so in love with you.” As those words left her lips, Fred closed his eyes, his face relaxing and a small smile gracing his lips. When he opened them again, she could see the intensity of his feelings shining through. 

He moved forward then, pressing himself fully against her, wrapping his arms around her waist. He turned her face and captured her lips in a deep, emotional kiss, shifting his stance until she felt his hard cock press against her entrance. Trailing kisses down her neck, he asked, “Are you certain?”

“Yes.”

“Watch me. I want you to look in that mirror and watch as I make you mine.”

On a sharp intake of breath, Hermione drew her head up and focused on their reflection. Nothing in her life had ever felt like this before. She felt her heart flutter with excitement, joy, and nerves. Making love with Fred for the first time was everything. 

As he gripped her hips, she grabbed the counter to steady herself, arching her back to allow him easier access. She watched, transfixed as he gripped himself and guided his length into her. His eyes met hers and although they weren’t face to face, she could see and feel the absolute love he exuded as he slid inside her, joining them for the first time. 

As Fred began to move inside her, he leaned closer to her, his chest pressing into her back. His mouth found her neck once again, gently sucking and nipping on her pulse point. She knew that he would mark her there, but she couldn’t find it within herself to care. As Fred slowly fucked her from behind, Hermione was surprised to find that this angle was amazing. She’d never come from internal stimulation alone, but now she wondered if she might. His cock was sliding firmly along the front wall of her vagina with every thrust, the constant, firm pressure swiftly bringing her toward a second release. 

“Play with your tits for me. I want to see you touch yourself,” he requested in a husky voice. As she moved to comply, he wrapped one arm around her waist to assist her as she awkwardly changed her position. Using her elbows to brace against the hard surface, she brought her hands up and began to roll and pinch her nipples. Fred’s breath was hot on her ear, “Merlin, that’s so sexy. I don’t think I’m going to last much longer. Can you come for me? I want to feel you come around my cock.”

Fred’s words brought her to the edge. “I’m so close,” she moaned. With a wickedly sexy grin, he reached down with a single finger and pressed against the tiny bundle of nerves at the top of her slit. With that, she came undone. The orgasm was the most powerful and all-encompassing she’d ever experienced. As she rode the waves of intense pleasure, she felt him tense behind her as he too found his release with a groan. 

He fell forward, bracing himself to not crush her as they caught their breath. Leaning down, he peppered kisses over her shoulders and back, then slowly he withdrew his softening penis from inside her. Carefully, he turned her into his arms and murmured into her ear. “That was perfect, you’re perfect. I love you so much.”

“I love you too.” Feeling as if she was floating on air, Hermione rose up on her tiptoes, wrapping both arms around his neck, pulling him into a sensual kiss that she poured her emotions into. She thought to herself that the only thing that she wanted to do now was to spend the night wrapped in Fred’s arms. “Can we go to bed now?”

“Of course.” Fred located his wand, waving it over both of them. “Cleaning charms for now. We can have a shower in the morning,” waggling his eyebrows, he added, “together, of course.”

“That sounds perfect to me,” Hermione agreed with a smile as they strode together down the hallway into his bedroom. 

They fell into bed, exhausted by the events of that evening. After exchanging softly spoken words of love, they snuggled together, still naked, and fell asleep. 

After waking sometime in the night to make love once again, she came awake slowly with the soft morning light streaming in through Fred’s bedroom window. Feeling eyes on her, she looked up to see him watching her with a gentle smile. His grin broadened when he noticed that she was awake. “Good morning, love,” he greeted her with a kiss.

Returning the greeting, she sighed happily. She knew that she would be content to wake like this every morning for the rest of her life. For a moment, she indulged in imagining what it might be like with children climbing into their bed someday. It was a lovely prospect. 

Already bereft at the thought that she would have to leave Fred’s arms, even just for the day, she snuggled in closer, basking in the utter sense of rightness and comfort she felt. This was unlike anything she’d experienced before. His embrace felt like home... It was then that she knew with certainty that no matter what the day’s research would bring, the two of them were going to be just fine. 


End file.
